Social media has become one of the most powerful tools on the planet for voicing thoughts and opinions and making them heard. It’s free, it’s easy to use and you can build a large following. Sports organizations, such as the NFL, and their franchises have cottoned onto this and are harnessing the power of social media to build their fan base, communicate with fans, and create opportunities for fans to engage with the league.
But which teams are really smashing it out of the park when it comes to social media? Below is a look at the NFL teams that have built up the largest following on their social channels and why.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys may have ridiculed in recent years for not having won a Super Bowl in 30 years, and if you’re checking point spreads, you’d likely bet against the Cowboys. None of this has stopped them from becoming valued at $10.1 billion and, as a result, the most valuable sports team in the world, however.
To add insult to injury to those teams getting their hands on the Lombardi trophy with more ease, the Cowboys have the largest social media following in the NFL. The franchise has amassed 20 million in total across the different platforms: 8 million on Facebook, 5 on Instagram, 4.4 on X and 2.6 on TikTok.
Part of the reason for this success is their longstanding fan base and the consideration of them as “America’s Team.” But their success isn’t purely down to the brand itself. The Cowboys do an excellent job of putting out content, by blending access, pre-prepared content, sponsor integration, endearing content and real-time engagement. Of special note is their Instagram page, which is well curated and displays a selection of unique visuals.
Last season, however, there was discontent among the fans, who voiced their displeasure with the general manager, Jerry Jones. This discontent appears to be continuing and could see them lose fans and followers. Alternatively, people might start following to keep up with the drama!
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots may not have Tom Brady as their quarterback anymore, but they’ve still got the second largest social media following in the NFL. The team has a total of 17.6 million followers on socials: 6.3 on Facebook, 5.1 on Instagram, 4.6 on X and 1.6 on TikTok.
The Patriots’ fans are youthful and proud of their region. This is handy for any brand. They’re also loyal to the team, which the Patriots have capitalized on by asking fans to tweet pictures demonstrating their loyalty to win tickets. The franchise has made the most of star players such as Tom Brady in the past, too, and posted content with them in it, which always generate engagement.
These haven’t been the only keys to the Patriots’ success on social media. Others include investing in future fans with Instagram and using social to achieve its business aims. Whether the Patriots will experience a major growth in fans is questionable, now that their main man Tom Brady has retired. At one point, they had the most fans on social, but the Cowboys have taken over since then.
Philadelphia Eagles
Trailing not far behind the Patriots are the Philadelphia Eagles with a total social following of 17.4 million: 4.9 on Facebook, 4.6 on Instagram, 4 on X and 3.9 on TikTok.
The Eagles have worked hard on their social media strategy by mixing up images on X and by trying to reach the right audience on Facebook instead of just aiming for the largest reach. On Instagram, where they’ve witnessed a lot of success, the franchise has focused on diversifying its content by posting graphics, photos, videos and illustrations, which has helped it to increase its follower count. TikTok has focused on creating a “behind the scenes” type feel to the content. Users have experienced community reach, witnessed locker room daftness and staff-led challenges from the franchise.
The Eagles have seen their engagement go up, thanks to their focus on creating content on social, especially on Instagram and TikTok. The shift from hard analysis and podcasting to video has really paid off for a team that is renowned for having fans who are as loyal as they are notorious. They even stood on a picket line with players once.
When it comes to attracting fans on social media, the Dallas Cowboys are ruling the roost, despite their lack of any actual Super Bowl success for decades. A few million behind are the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. Coming in at 15.9 million followers overall are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have some work to do if they’re to overtake any of the top three in social media popularity.
